Ole Miss starter was considered the best lefty on the draft board and could be expected to move quickly up the Indians' farm system.
UPDATED: 9:49 p.m.
Mississippi lefty Drew Pomeranz was the Indians' first-round choice, the fifth overall, in Monday's first-year player draft.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Picking fifth in the first round of baseball's first-year player draft Monday night, the Indians did not get cute. They opted for a proven college player with whom they were familiar, University of Mississippi left-hander Drew Pomeranz.
It is the ninth consecutive year that Cleveland has used its first pick on a college player.
Pomeranz, listed at 6-5, 231, and Chris Sale of Florida Gulf Coast were considered the best of a thin crop of lefty pitchers. Sale also was available at No. 5.
"With Drew's ability to start, and with his power stuff, we liked Drew Pomeranz," Indians scouting director Brad Grant said. "We feel like we got a big, front-of-the-rotation left-handed starter."
The Indians have until mid-August to sign him.
Pomeranz was the Tribe's only pick on day one of the draft, which resumes Tuesday with rounds 2-30. Rounds 31-50 will be Wednesday.
As expected, the Washington Nationals drafted 17-year-old outfielder/catcher Bryce Harper at No. 1. The Pirates took prep righty Jameson Taillon second. After the Orioles went with prep shortstop Manny Machado, the Royals selected college shortstop Christian Colon.
Numerous mock first rounds leading up to the draft had the Indians considering Sale, Pomeranz and college position players Zack Cox (third baseman, Arkansas), Yasmani Grandal (catcher, Miami) and Michael Choice (outfielder, Texas-Arlington).
"We took who we felt was the best player available," Grant said.
Pomeranz went 9-2 with a 2.24 ERA in 16 starts as a junior. He gave up 71 hits in 100 2/3 innings, walked 49 and struck out 139. The opposition batted .195 against the Southeastern Conference pitcher of the year.
"Drew's a guy we started to look at in high school," Grant said. "This winter, after his performance at last year's regionals and with Team USA, he became a targeted guy for us."
In a 2009 regional final, Pomeranz crafted a 16-strikeout, complete-game victory on two days' rest. The next week, he struck out 10 and threw 146 pitches in seven innings in a super regional.
"Drew on the mound is an extreme competitor," Grant said. "He looks much more mature than everybody else."
Pomeranz throws a two- and four-seam fastball, curve and change-up. His pitches can be difficult to pick up.
"He is swing-and-miss with the fastball," Grant said. "Not only is it 90-95, it explodes through the zone. He gets a lot of swings and misses with the curve ball, as well. The one pitch he still needs to develop a little bit is the change-up."
Pomeranz, drafted but unsigned by Texas in the 12th round in 2007 out of Collierville (Tenn.) High School, had a pectoral strain in the spring that is not an issue. Grant said the lefty has no history of arm injuries.
The Indians had not picked fifth or higher since 1992, when they went with University of North Carolina righty Paul Shuey at No. 2.